This application relates to the art of containers and, more particularly, to containers which are nestable and stackable with one another. The invention is particularly applicable for use with bakery trays and the like, and will be particularly described with reference thereto. However, it will be appreciated that the invention has broader aspects and may be used with containers other than bakery trays.
It is common to provide bakery trays and other containers with pivoted bails which swing between an inner container stacking position and an outer container nesting position. In their inner container stacking position, the bails support the bottom of an upper container in a stacking position on top of a lower container. This makes it possible to fill the containers with items and provide the stacking of the filled containers without smashing the contents. In their outer container nesting position, the bails allow a plurality of empty containers to be nested within one another so they occupy substantially less space during storage and return shipment.
It is also known to provide bakery trays and like containers with arrangements for stacking and nesting at more than two different levels. Bakery trays are commonly used for transporting bakery goods of different heights in a single layer. For example, bakery trays may be used for transporting loaves of bread and this requires stacking of the trays at a relatively high level on one another to prevent smashing of the bread loaves. The same trays may be used for transporting much smaller items, such as cupcakes or the like. In order to store and transport a large number of trays in a given vertical height, it is desirable to have the trays stacked within one another at a much lower level when transporting cupcakes or the like as compared to transporting bread. When the trays are empty, it is still desirable to have them nest within one another. Known arrangements for providing stacking and nesting at more than two different levels include the use of pivoted bails which provide a high stacking position and also allow nesting. Stacking at a lower level or position is accomplished by providing support columns on the sidewalls of the trays. With the bails in their outer container nesting positions, the containers will either stack at a low level on the sidewall columns or will nest by rotating the trays 180.degree.. The necessity of rotating the containers 180.degree. to provide either nesting or a low level stacking position is inconvenient, and it would be desirable to have a tray which could stack and nest at more than two levels simply by moving the bails to a plurality of different positions.